The BLM office in Monticello has asked the Friends of Indian Creek to remind climbers that there is a 14-day limit on camping on BLM Land. The F.O.I.C. understands that there is a bit of a history of staying in the Creek for far longer, but heavy climber-traffic in the area has made the BLM take notice of this tradition. Be aware that overstaying the 14-day limit makes climbers look as if we feel the rules don't apply to us and thus has an effect on long-term access. Moving your campsite throughout the season, or perhaps finding a site outside the main Indian Creek area, will not only help smooth relations with the BLM, but will also keep you from possibly getting hit with a fine.
The name on the plaque is Fletcher, although Bloom's guidebook refers to this as 'The Feltcher.' But why would anyone name a good route like that?
Climb to a corner and protect it, then climb into a band of questionable rock. Carefully place a 3" cam (or so) in a solid horizontal, then move up a thin crack, protecting that, and adding slings on the right. GO left out and up a flake (stemming crux) and left out the top of a small roof to a crack. Traverse back right (balance crux) and follow the thin hands crack and corner to the top as it widens (enduro crux).
Location
Just left of where the trail reaches the SE face of the Fin, you will encounter an obvious crack with a broken corner at the bottom and a weird flake (juts out left) guarding the exit of that section to the good crack. the route is well marked by a plaque.
Protection
Bloom's book is misleading. It suggests heavy 1.5" cams and then a few 2.5" 's. Whereas in fact, you need some 2"s for sure. Perhaps he equivocated .75 camalots (green) as 1.5" cams? Take cams from your smallest cam to .75" (1 each), a 3" cam for the horizontal before the bad rock, then a few 1" and maybe 4X each 1.5 and 2" cams. Then a few 2.5's for the top section.
This pitch has a lot of fun climbing and many rests (it's a soft touch for the cliff). The bottom 30' are a nice change of pace, gym style climbing. A confidence inspiring introduction to the grade.
1.5 inch would be a .75 camalot, 1 inch would be a .5, 2.5 inch would be a 2 camalot, and so on. its important to realize this when reading blooms book.
"1.5 inch would be a .75 camalot, 1 inch would be a .5, 2.5 inch would be a 2 camalot, and so on. its important to realize this when reading blooms book."
Nearest equivalent, yes... but if all you take on this climb is what he says and translate it, you might be sorry. A .75 camalot is a little bigger than a 1.5" and a 2 camalot is a 2.25" peice... When a climb borders on the edge of an overlap sometimes you don't get what you want and nothing fits. I always take a peice or two above and below the descrition to account for rack lost in translation. And that serves me well.
The first bit of this route is very fun climbing but on choss, don't fall. Putting more than one peice in the horizontal might be a good idea. There was a fixed tcu in the thin crack below the horizontal when I did it.
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